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Pamela Giraud: A Play in Five Acts, a play by Honore de Balzac |
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Act 2 - Scene 8 |
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_ ACT II - SCENE EIGHTH Rousseau, Madame Rousseau, Madame du Brocard (attended by Justine) and Dupre.
DUPRE. I hope to save him for you, madame; but it cannot be done without making great sacrifices. ROUSSEAU. Sir, the half of our fortune is at your disposal. MME. DU BROCARD. And the half of mine. DUPRE. It is always the half of some fortune or other. I am going to try to do my duty--afterwards, you must do yours; we shall have to make great efforts. You, madame, must rouse yourself, for I have great hopes. MME. ROUSSEAU. Ah! sir, what can you mean? DUPRE. A little time ago, your son was a ruined man; at the present moment, I believe he can be saved. MME. ROUSSEAU. What must we do? MME. DU BROCARD. What do you ask? ROUSSEAU. You may be sure we will do as you require. DUPRE. I feel certain you will. This is my plan which will undoubtedly succeed with the jury. Your son had an intrigue with a certain working-girl, Pamela Giraud, the daughter of a porter. MME. DU BROCARD. What low people! DUPRE. Yet you will have to humble yourselves to them. Your son was always with this young girl, and in this point lies the sole hope of his deliverance. The very evening on which the public prosecutor avers that he attended a meeting of the conspirators, he was possibly visiting her. If this is a fact, if she declares that he remained with her that night, if her father and her mother, if the rival of Jules confirm the testimony--we shall then have ground for hope. When the choice has to be made between a sentence of guilty and an alibi, the jury prefers the alibi. MME. ROUSSEAU. (aside) Ah! sir, you bring back life to me. ROUSSEAU. Sir, we owe you a debt of eternal gratitude. DUPRE. (looking at them) What sum of money must I offer to the daughter, to the father and to the mother? MME. DU BROCARD. Are they poor? DUPRE. They are, but the matter concerns their honor. MME. DU BROCARD. Oh, she is only a working-girl! DUPRE. (ironically) It ought to be done very cheaply. ROUSSEAU. What do you think? DUPRE. I think that you are bargaining for the life of your son. MME. DU BROCARD. Well, M. Dupre, I suppose you may go as high as-- MME. ROUSSEAU. As high as-- DUPRE. As high as-- ROUSSEAU. Upon my word, I don't understand why you hesitate--and you must offer, sir, whatever sum you consider suitable. DUPRE. Just so, you leave it to my discretion. But what compensation do you offer her if she restores your son to you at the sacrifice of her honor? For possibly he has made love to her. MME. ROUSSEAU. He shall marry her. I come from the people myself, and I am no marchioness. MME. DU BROCARD. What do you mean by that? You are forgetting Mlle. de Verby. MME. ROUSSEAU. Sister, my son's life must be saved. DUPRE. (aside) Here we have the beginning of a comedy and the last which I wish to see; but I must keep them to their word. (Aloud) Perhaps it would be well if you secretly paid a visit to the young girl. MME. ROUSSEAU. Oh, yes, I should like to go to see her--to implore her-- (she rings) Justine! Antoine! Quick! Order the carriage! At once-- ANTOINE. Yes, madame. MME. ROUSSEAU. Sister, will you go with me? Ah, Jules my poor son! MME. DU BROCARD. They are bringing him back. _ |
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